Watch repair blog

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About

Collective Mark of The British Watch & Clock Makers’ Guild

This blog shows my attempts and failures at fixing and servicing watches – I hope you enjoy the posts and photos.

I have been working as a professional watchmaker since January 2012, and I have been a member of The British Watch & Clock Makers’ Guild since April 2015. In May 2016, I was appointed as a director of the Guild.

I am a German Master of Trades (albeit in car mechanics), so I have a bit of a technical background. I’ve been tinkering with watches since I was a kid and maintain and service our local church clock. A watch is just like a gearbox, only smaller 😉

Ray joined the workshop as an apprentice on 1/10/2017.

If you decide to have your watch fixed and/or serviced by me, this is how it works:

once you have sent your watch, you can check on my tracking page if your watch has arrived at the workshop. It will then take a couple of weeks until the watch makes it through the queue (you can check on that on the tracking page), and I will then either proceed with the work agreed, or give you a quote if you wanted one first.

if you don’t want to go ahead with the work, we will send the watch back to you – you only pay a £30 inspection charge and postage back.

if you want to go ahead with the work, I will fix/service your watch within 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the availability of parts etc. No inspection charge is due.

I can only write a blog entry for some watches, and it tends to be the unusual or interesting watches that get the blog entries.

54 thoughts on “About”

The interesting thing about Christian is that by his own admission he has been a ‘professional’ since 2012. Oh, how the rest of industry would value the acquisition of such a reputation after only 5 years. I was a little worried about sending my Speedmaster off into the blue by post so I decided to call in and see Christian’s setup for myself. For anyone worried that this is a little backyard workshop, your worries are unfounded. I discovered a charming guy in a surgically clean environment equipped with a full range of modern tools (and kitchen/diner) and after a brief chat had no concerns about leaving my watch with him. The whole process has been carefully documented and I have been kept informed at every step of the way. There was no question of forcing solutions upon me and the most economic cost options were always presented despite the fact that he could have made more money out of me.
The watch has now been collected and is back in full working order. There was a problem with the chronograph which was completely repaired despite all and sundry telling me I only had the option of a complete chronograph replacement. I have spent about a fifth of this watch’s value getting it back to prime condition. Anywhere else I had been quoted nearly 50% of its value.
So if you are in doubt I can reassure you that Christian is your man!

Hi, just stumbled across your blog and it’s fab!
I have a vintage Ladies Cartier Tank 18k watch with 18k clip and operated on a winding mechanism that has stopped working. It hasn’t had a service either in a long time and wondered roughly how much it would cost to look at and repair.
Also do you offer new Cartier straps?

Interesting choice. A great macro lens as standard and all the zoom you can handle. I was expecting to hear about some high end Canon with a special close up lens attachment, tripod, diffused lightbox etc. costing ten times as much, which is credit to your images. Thanks, C.

A couple of questions if you don’t mind. Firstly, I own a quartz Seamaster bought from new in 2008. Will this require any servicing or do I just wait for it to give up the ghost before replacing the movement. (If that happens of course) . Secondly, I also have an Oris Auto Chronograph (7750) that I rarely ever wear. Should this be serviced every 5-7 years, or much more with such little use ?

Many thanks Christian.
Just got my Boschett Harpoon back after having the crown and stem re-tightened. A very professional and impressive service. It was worth the wait to get my watch booked in with someone that I can actually trust to do a top job and who really knows what they are doing. Also, a very reasonable price.
I’ll be recommending you.

I have a micro brand dive watch with a Miyota 9015 movement. The crown has come unscrewed from the stem. Can you give me a rough idea of cost for re-fitting the crown and re-sealing? (The manufacturer said that it is easy to do, but that the movement needs accessing to do it).
Many thanks.

Hi Christian,
I have an Omega chrono-quartz 1611 that was given me in 1976 by my father-in-law Jacques Gambard who was himself a watchmaker, owning and operating his own store in Montreal Canada for many years. He has since passed away but the store is still in existence under its original name of Bijouterie Gambard, easily found on the internet in the heart of Montreal. He was a french-man who studied at the Paris School of Watchmaking and worked for Omega after WW 2 emigrating to Canada in 1950. I have never worn the chrono-quartz as I found it too cumbersome. Being related to a watchmaker, I was never without a watch having both a Tudor and a Hoverta. The Omega was kept in a cloth bag for 40 years and is in pristine (never-worn) condition. It was serviced regularly by my father-in-law until his death and I have changed the batteries as required. The watch works and keeps time perfectly. I have seen posts on your website regarding this unique watch and I’m wondering if there is still interest in the model as I am prepared to sell it. Perhaps more knowledgeable people than I, yourseld included could weigh in on the matter. Many thanks,
Ken McAuslan

Sir
I just recently purchased a Vacheron Overseas 42042 (much like the one you serviced in your blog post) that I intend to become my daily watch, hopefully for a very long time. Fully aware of the Vacheron service prices (starting at 1000£) I am now trying to find a good person to entrust my baby to on a yearly basis while trying to minimize the correspondence with Geneva. Regarding Vacherons part blockade of late, would you accept such an aspiring relationship? 🙂

A yearly service is way over the top, and will do the watch more harm than good. Every 5 years is fine, and every 7 years isn’t too shabby, either. Please have a look at our booking page, and try to get a slot on 13/2.

Thank you Christian and Mitka for the professional and quick repair. I’ve loved following the progress of the service and repair via your photos.

The Rolex is sparkling (but with the dings and patina of 50 years of wear all present and correct) and keeps time better than it has in years.
Thank you gents for all the hard work, the patience (especially with the crystal!!) and love of the craft.

I have just got my watch back from a service and have been amazed by the whole process. Its a leap of faith to get a recommendation on a cycling forum, then post a Rolex from Germany in a €5 Jiffy bag but it all worked better that the watch I sent for repair. The photographs of the innards are intriguing as well as being the desktop pictures on my laptop, response to mail enquiries, again, outstanding.
So its back on my wrist, ticking away and hopefully good for another 20 odd years.

I have just had my Datejust serviced and repaired and i have got to say that i honestly haven’t come across service like this before. My watch was photographed through the whole process so as to allow me to see what was actually going on, this alone takes up time, the turnaround time was 2 weeks and Christian answers emails virtually straight away.
Okay, nothing unusual there some might say albeit for the price i was charged.
The best value for money i’ve ever come across so all i can say is thank you very much Christian and Mitka, all i can say to everyone else is spread this website far and wide because the service is second to none.

I’ve just had my Omega Seamaster ref:176.007 calibre 1040 restored by Christian and it is now working as good as new. Having suffered from water immersion the movement had to be completely rebuilt – a job that had been turned away by two other watch repairers before I discovered the WatchGuy, who I would recommend to anyone who needs their watch serviced.

Just to echo the positive comments here. I love looking through the projects and the pictures really help to demystify the inner workings of this beautiful little masterpieces. Everyone’s tastes are so different and it is great to see that celebrated.

I will definitely be sending you my boring Tudor and then maybe my Ebel after that. Thanks for sharing your work.

Hi, Christian.
I googled around and stumbled over your blog and by the first look of it, I already love it! This is the kind of site I have been looking for for ages. Someone that has a talent restoring and servicing watches and posting explanations and pictures like you do? I couldn’t ask for more!
I have been following people like you for a while and I wish I could work on watches like that on a hobby level. Unfortunately I don’t know where to start learning about it. Maybe you’ve got any tips for an amateur? 🙂

Again, love your site and you have got yourself a steady reader from now on 🙂
Looking forward to future projects!

Dear Sir ,
I have an orient 3star that i bought second hand and it needs looking at it
was bought off ebay and supposed to have been serviced but it run very well at the start but has now started gaining time could you look at it I also hace a omega seamaster which needs looking at.
Many Thanks
Stan Gray.

I like this blog a lot! Very inspiring and instructive. Respect!
Everytime I read a item my fingers start itching… .
May I ask if it would be possible to make a “how to” clean a watch? I know you use a ultrasonic cleaner, but what are de “do’s” and “dont’s”, and different stages you go through, what kind of products do you use etc… ? Or is it just in and out the tank?

Sorry, I completely overlooked your post. I use L&R cleaning and rinsing fluids, which are solvent and not water based. I have a cleaning machine which is a clone of the traditional Elma with the three glass jars, which works really well.
You can buy one of those cheap ultrasonic cleaner on eBay, and put a bit of water in them, and then use small glass jars with cleaning fluid that you put in the water “bath” in the ultrasonic tank. Works a treat!

I m crazy about automatic watches and hand winding watches.
I was googling for some °how to° info about an omega seamaster cosmic and i got stuck in your blog more than an hour!Amazing work and amazing watches!
Greetings from Greece.
P.S
Wishing you all the best for your wife

So I was wondering, what does a person who actually gets to take apart this marvellous machines (and more importantly, put them together again!) wear on his wrist? What would you wear if money and supplies were no object?

I bought an Accutron after seeing one on your Blog… clearly I am an advertisers dream.

I read recently that George Daniels’ personal collection of watches were up for sale – presumably including his Patek Philippe which he converted as a test unit for the co-axial escapement… now that would be something to possess!

What an utterly fabulous guy Christian is. He fixed my inherited Omega Constellation for a tiny fee, and I was faced with a minimum £350 bill just for a high st jeweller to send the watch off for a ‘service’. Brilliant service, incredibly fast. It’s so nice to know there are still trustworthy people who are passionate about their craft.
Thank you so much.

As a beginner in the watchmaking hobby, I appreciate your illustrated narrative and, indeed, it helped me take apart & put back together a watch
I’m reading up on all the projects — maybe I will entice you one day with one of my vintage Girard Perregaux.

I thought about a watch service with you but I am not convinced by the passive aggressive ‘slot tick down feature’ you use! I notice after a quick google search you are a clever salesman company-wise and although you may of started off with good intentions regarding watch repairs i’m of the opinion you are now dedicated to self promotion in building up another lucrative business. There is nothing wrong with this however I will be simply using a more straightforward company with a transparent booking in procedure.